Monday, May 14, 2012

I loathe elitists.

Remember what I said about fan hating being bad? Well, that's very true. However, there's another kind of fan that also needs a swift kick to the rump:Elitist Anime Fans.Who are these people? Fans who prefer the original voices but with subtitles? No, that's far too reasonable for me to be writing this. Oh, I know! Anime fans that proclaim any and all attempts to translate anime into the English language as "tarnishing the art"! You know, the type that:

1) hate all dub voice over artists, even the really good ones like Vic Mignogna, Crispin Freeman, Wendee Lee, Colleen Clinkenbeard, Laura Baily, and more (even the ones that actually hand-picked by the original Japanese creators, no less).2)fan hate on people who prefer watching works in their native language and call them unrefined illiterates (yeah, I would to see just how many of these guys have read the complete works of Tolkien, Shakespeare, Charles Dickens, countless mythologies from all around the globe, AND Wars and Peace, like I have.)3) frequently start flame wars over the Sub vs. Dub issue and aren't content to let other fans have their own opinions on the issue.

There we go!

GAAAAAAUUUUUURRRGGGHHH! Alright, look, I get wanting to watch and appreciate something in its original form, I really do. In fact, I also watch subs sometimes, but largely, I prefer dubs, because I prefer to enjoy my anime in my native tongue. Sorry if that offends you, but I'm not about to change how I enjoy anime because you get your panties in the twist WAY too easily. I don't mind that you prefer to watch it subbed, I just ask you don't care what I like it dubbed right back.

Dubbing has gotten A LOT better over the years to the point where even the original creators will sometimes prefer the English voice actors over the originals (Cowboy Bebop and EL-Hazard coming to mind straight off). Look, I'm not going to deny dubbing disasters like what DiC did to Sailor Moon or the early days of U.S. broadcast Dragonball Z. What I'm also not going to do is pretend that every case of dubbing is like that. They're not. They're really not. In fact, a lot of dubbing is almost precise with what was originally intended with some very competent talent going into it. Just watch one of the more beloved dubs that even has staunch Sub lovers grudgingly admitting are good with an open mind. You might be surprised.Food for thought: Hayao Miyazaki actually recommends people watch his movies in their native tongues and even supervises the English Dubs that Disney (now Disney-Pixar) produce. He's even on very good terms with John Lasseter and some of the others guys ar Pixar. So obviously, dubbing is the Devil.

Lastly, no, I'm not saying that you're wrong for wanting to watch anime in its original language. I cannot stress this part enough. Just leave me alone when it comes to the issue if it ever comes up. I'll debate you on the matter civilly, but the instant I get the impression that you don't respect me for my opinion on the matter, I am through with you. The point is: there is no right or wrong way to watch anime. Just different ways to appreciate it. Just do what you want to do, and be content to let others enjoy it their way. This doesn't always have to end with a flame war and mass bannings from whatever anime fan chatroom you go to.